Rejection
by rwbysis07
Summary: It's Valentine's Day again, and Marinette has finally made a card to express her true feelings for Adrien. But what happens when her feelings aren't reciprocated?
1. The Card

"Tikki, I'm finally going to do it! I'm going to give Adrien a Valentine personally and tell him how I feel!" Marinette was all ready to go to school, fifteen minutes earlier than normal. She wanted to be at least ten minutes early so she could talk to her crush before classes and Chloe.

"Marinette, are you sure? You seem so focused on telling him that you don't know what to do if he returns your feelings or rejects them. As far as I can tell-"

"I think he secretly likes me! Wouldn't it be amazing? With all my normal bleh, he probably thinks I don't like him at all. I know he's uncomfortable with Chloe's invasions of personal space, so maybe he'd actually like me? Tikki, I need help here!" Marinette grabbed Tikki for emphasis with the last sentence, but the kwami face-palmed and decided to let her holder make her own decisions.

"I'm not an expert in love. You're the only one who can decide what to do. Just don't overreact to his response," she replied. Marinette nodded and grabbed a red, heart-shaped card from her desk and put it in her school bag.

"Marinette, are you awake? You need to leave if you want to be on time today!" her mom called from downstairs.

"I'm almost ready, mom!" she replied, then gestured to her pink purse. Tikki flew in, and Marinette ran downstairs to say goodbye to her parents before school.

* * *

Marinette managed to make it to Mme. Mendeliev's class many minutes earlier than most mornings. She didn't wait long before Adrien entered, one of the first students to arrive. Marinette stood up and walked over with the card clutched to her chest.

"A-Adrien? You made I a thing. I mean I made a thing you! I mean I made you thing! Um... here!" Marinette stuttered. Adrien took the card and, setting as no one else was paying much attention, he quietly read it aloud.

"Your perfect blond hair, and bright green eyes, are not all that I idolize. Your kindness and helpful nature are far above, I wonder, do you return my love?" Adrien re-read the card, silently, then looked up and smiled. "Only fitting that I respond with a poem as well!" He pulled out a pen and a piece of scrap paper, then quickly wrote a note. Marinette grabbed it from him as soon as he was done.

"I admire your praise, beauty, and skill in design, and I know you would love to have your hand in mine. But when I look at you, all that I see: someone whose friend I would love to be." Marinette slowly tore her eyes from the paper, and Adrien was wearing an awkward-feeling expression.

"I'm sorry, but I like someone else. I'd like to be better friends, but-"

"Is it Chloe?" Marinette immediately asked, looking like she was about to cry.

"No! It's-I can't tell you. I'm sorry." Adrien looked away and sat down.

Marinette stood in place for a moment, then tears started to fall down her face. She ran out of the room and into the nearest girls' restroom, not noticing Alya in the hall as she passed. Marinette locked herself in the first open stall and finally gave way to full sobs.

"Who could he possibly like? Oh, of course he thinks I'm weird! I'm always stuttering and running away when he comes near me! He probably likes someone famous-" Marinette stopped talking when she noticed a purple butterfly hovering over the top of the stall. She took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down, but kept coming back to images of Adrien in her head. She put her head in her hands, then came to a decision. She held up the tear-soaked note and smiled.


	2. Lovebug

When Alya saw her best friend running out of class crying before the warning bell even rang, she knew that something had gone wrong. She immediately sped up and almost tripped Nino, who was walking with her. She entered the classroom and realized that Adrien was sitting in his desk with his head in his hands.

"Agreste, what did you do?!" Alya demanded.

"I rejected her," he mumbled through his hands.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you clearly?" she repeated. Adrien looked up. He looked like he had been crying too.

"Marinette have me a Valentine and I rejected her. She yelled at me and ran off. I didn't think she'd take it so badly..." Adrien hung his head again. "I just think she's a great friend."

"Look at me." Adrien obeyed Alya's command, but regretted it as soon as he saw the hand headed for his face.

"Ow! Okay! I made a terrible decision! I'll find her and talk to her!" Adrien held his left hand over his face, hoping that his father would accept the truth behind the reason for a hand-shaped bruise on his cheek. He inched around Marinette's fuming best friend and started searching.

* * *

"Marinette? Where are you? I'm sorry!" Adrien called. He had walked around the whole school and hadn't found her. He sat down on a bench in the courtyard just as the 5-minute warning bell rang. He looked back up to the second floor in time to see someone with black hair exit the girls' restroom.

"Marinette?" he called again, and slowly moved towards the stairs. She was too far away to hear clearly, but he could see that this was not the Marinette he knew.

This girl had nearly floor-length black pigtails and a light pink bodysuit with dark red hearts, almost mimicking Ladybug's costume. However, the suit clearly had what looked like a red, heart-shaped cape with a black line down the middle. The clearly akumatized girl moved quickly, with a purpose. She didn't even look at anyone else as she approached the door to Mme. Mendeliev's classroom.

"Oh, no," Adrien said under his breath, then ran up the stairs to see what she was going to do.

* * *

"Alya, where are your friends today?" Mme. Mendeliev asked. The late bell was about to ring, and she knew that both Marinette and Adrien had tendencies to be late.

"Adrien is looking for Marinette. He said something he regrets now, and he needs to apologize to her," Alya reported. At that moment, the door opened to reveal the pink-clad akuma victim.

"Where is Adrien Agreste?" she demanded. She knew that he had been in this room, but he wouldn't have left the school.

"Ugh, why do you want to know? You know he wouldn't bother with anyone who isn't as famous or rich as him!" Chloe bragged from the other side of the classroom, focusing on getting the perfect selfie.

"Chloe, just as self-centered as ever. I am Lovebug, and I can help you all find your true love! Just give me your hand, and I will tell you your soul mate!" the akuma victim announced. She lunged over to Alya, who was closest to Lovebug's position. "You already have your true love! Nino is perfect for you, and you are perfect for him!" Lovebug strutted across to Chloe, who tried to back away from the advancing akuma. She reached behind her cape and pulled out a yo-yo that was a pure, bright pink. She caught Chloe's hand with the string and pulled it in.

"What do you think you're doing?" the rich girl yelled. Lovebug just laughed.

"Everyone sees you as a heartless and cruel monster, except one, and you turned him down last year. I will bind you to him, and maybe his love will help you grow a heart!" Lovebug released Chloe's wrist and pulled Kim in with the yo-yo. She wrapped the string around both of them, and it glowed with a bright pink light. When it faded, the pair was holding hands like it was perfectly normal. Lovebug retracted the yo-yo and walked out. "Now, where could he be?" she asked, mostly to herself.

"Looking for someone?" Came a voice from above her. Lovebug barely had a chance to look up before a black lump dropped on top of her. A moment later, the lump leapt a few feet away.

"Oh, Chat Noir! You decided to show up! Let's see if you have a special someone in your life!" Lovebug lunged for his face, the only exposed skin his suit left.

"You don't need to do that! I already know I've got Ladybug! She'll be here soon and you won't be _bugging_ this city anymore!" Chat leapt back from Lovebug's lunge, then swung his baton. She jumped straight up, and her cape floated up to reveal a pair of transparent wings.

"Flight? That's no fair! I'll have to talk to Hawkmoth about this when I'm done with you!" By now, Lovebug had noticed that Chat kept glancing around, waiting for Ladybug to show up. From her hovering position, she wrapped her yo-yo around the distracted cat and pulled him up. He struggled, but she easily lay a hand on the side of his face.


	3. Secrets

Lovebug's mind was swamped with information, but her akuma powers categorized it instantly. She got Chat Noir's memories as fragments of images and sounds, but her powered mind put everything together.

A controlling father.

Constant work.

Fan mail.

Modeling.

A new school.

An old man, fallen in the street.

New friends.

A snarky cat.

A nervous classmate.

A resistant bug.

A strong, beautiful bug.

Lovebug knew what it all meant, but deep down, some part of her knew not to mention it. She returned to her own mind and giggled.

* * *

Chat knew something was off when Lovebug opened her eyes and laughed.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"Your mind is full of secrets. It's okay, Hawkmoth can't see what I saw. I can't say anything, but I need to find a way to remember if you defeat me. Speaking of which," Lovebug looked around for a moment, "where is your superhero partner? At her speed, she could have come from anywhere in the city by now. Maybe she's _tied up_?" Lovebug smirked and released her yo-yo, dropping Chat Noir on the floor of the school.

"Nah. She'll come through. She's never missed an akuma fight." Lovebug could see the doubt in his eyes. "At least the area is clear!" She looked around and noticed that although all the doors were open, every classroom was empty.

"If no one else is here, then I should go find others! They will all be happy on this day of love!" Lovebug flew up and out of the school, leaving Chat to hope that Ladybug would show up soon.

"Ladybug, where are you?" he said, seemingly to himself.

"She's not coming," replied a small voice from behind the lonely hero. He turned around and saw a small, red-and-black creature floating behind him. "I didn't want you to find out like this, but that's her." The creature looked like she regretted something.

"That's not Ladybug, it's Marinette. She was akumatized because I-someone rejected her," Chat replied.

"Adrien, that is Marinette. She's Ladybug. I would have helped her... but I'll have to help you now. I'm Tikki, her kwami," she explained.

"But can you purify the akuma?" he asked.

"Yes, but it will take a lot more energy than while I have her transformed. Ladybug's magic comes through me. This will come from me. We need to get to her now. Do you have any pockets?" Tikki asked. Chat looked around at his suit, but didn't find any pockets.

"You can hang on to my tail. You're light enough it won't matter." He held up the end of the belt and Tikki tied it around herself. As soon as she was secure, he jumped off with the help of his baton.


	4. Battle

Lovebug had left the school and flown straight to the Eiffel Tower. She was binding couples together, including random strangers. The main square was full of people just gazing into each other's eyes, spellbound by Lovebug's magic.

"Now, no one is lonely! I just need to find that cat and give his miraculous to Hawkmoth, and I will be free to love my Adrien!" Lovebug monologued from the top of the tower.

"You can get back to your love, but you'll only get the miraculous if you CATch me!" Chat Noir yelled up as he was climbing. Lovebug looked down with a fake pout, then started throwing her yo-yo to try and knock him off the tower. Chat dodged the attacks with ease, slowing down to minimize the chance that he would fall.

"Her left hand. She has the note you wrote her," Tikki whispered from Chat's shoulder, where she was hanging on. "If you destroy it, I can gather enough power to purify the akuma."

Chat nodded to the kwami and jumped up above Lovebug's perch at the top. He landed on top of her and tried to pin her arms back. However, she opened her wings and pushed him off.

"You know, sometimes people aren't ready for love. I think you're one of them," Chat said. He looked over Lovebug's outfit, looking for any more surprises or weaknesses.

"No, I know I truly love Adrien! You'll never keep him away from me!" she protested, and threw her yo-yo at Chat once more. He dodged it, then used his baton to start going down the tower. Lovebug kept attacking, but he kept dodging and dropping.

"What are you doing?" Tikki whisper-yelled in his ear.

"Probably something stupid," Chat muttered in response. He dropped to the ground and used his baton to propel himself away and towards the nearest cover. He jumped between two buildings, then jumped over one to the next. Chat kept jumping between buildings, making sure that Lovebug was following. He jumped over one last building and landed in an alleyway.

"Claws in," he said, and two kwamis stared at him. "I know how to do this. Marinette might not like it if she were herself." Adrien walked out and saw Lovebug hovering above the street. She looked down and saw him, then swiftly descended to meet her crush.

"Adrien! I finally found you! Come here, and see how I've made Paris happy!" Lovebug exclaimed. Adrien walked up with a nervous smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, and he pulled her in for a kiss.


	5. Conversation

Lovebug had not been expecting the kiss. When Adrien's lips touched hers, she nearly collapsed. She barely noticed that he was only holding her up with one arm, or where his right hand had removed the akumatized object from her left hand. After a moment, he released her, and saw her lovestruck expression. He smiled, then stepped back and ripped the note in half.

"Tikki, now!" he yelled, and Lovebug lunged for the hopeless akumatized object. The red kwami intercepted the dark moth that had flown from the paper and held it to her chest. She glowed a bright pink for a moment, then released a white butterfly.

"Bye bye, little butterfly!" she almost whispered, then fell into Adrien's hands. Another stream of pink ladybugs flew away from the kwami, restoring everything that Lovebug had done.

* * *

Marinette realized that she was sitting in the street. With Adrien standing over her. And pink ladybugs coming from his cupped hands.

"Is this a dream?" she groaned. She stood up just as the restoring ladybugs stopped flying over Paris. The light faded and she saw Tikki, unconscious, lying in Adrien's palms. "Yup, it's a dream! Adrien has Tikki, who's sick again, and I need to do something now! What do I need to do?" Marinette started pacing in front of her crush, who just smiled, stepped forwards, and pinched her.

"Sorry, but it's not a dream. You were akumatized, and your kwami helped me purify the akuma when you were defeated," Adrien explained. He handed Tikki to Marinette, who stared at him for another moment.

"Tikki... what happened?" Marinette cuddled her kwami for a moment, then looked at Adrien again. "You know what a kwami is. How?"

"Plagg?" he called, and the cat-themed kwami flew out from behind his head.

"Guys, stop beating around the bush. Ladybug, meet Chat Noir. Chat Noir, meet Ladybug!" Plagg said, slightly annoyed but also relieved that they didn't have to keep secrets anymore.

"Oh." was all that Marinette could reply.

"I'm sorry I rejected you earlier. I didn't know you were Ladybug... If I had, I would have said 'yes' in a heartbeat," Adrien apologized. Marinette gently lay Tikki in her pocket, then ran up and hugged Adrien.

"If I knew you were Chat, I wouldn't have brushed off all of your flirting!" Marinette released Adrien, then looked around. "We should probably get back to school. We'll say that I carried you off as an akuma?" she asked, knowing that they needed an excuse.

"I guess that sounds alright... m'lady," Adrien replied with a smirk. Marinette playfully punched his arm, but looked at him with amusement.

"We can't start dating in civilian form and superhero form at the same time. It would be too suspicious," Marinette decided as they walked.

"We could wait a few weeks before 'Ladynoir' becomes official," Adrien replied. Marinette gave him a weird look. "Yes, I check the Ladyblog. I have to make sure no one actually knows who we are."

"Alya is going to have a field day when she realizes that we actually got together. And a second when she realizes that we're also together," Marinette said, rolling her eyes, knowing her best friend's most likely behavior.

"Does she know? I know she has the Ladyblog, but she seems like she could help cover for you," Adrien asked.

"No. I didn't even trust my own parents. Do you think I would trust her if I couldn't trust them?" Marinette noticed that they were within sight of the school. "Maybe I should tell her. But if I do, you're telling too. I'm not taking it alone."

"If I tell, you're telling me who Rena Rouge is," Adrien challenged. "Or is it Alya?"

"We should stop talking about this now. There are going to be people in the hallways," Marinette replied, but she had a small smile, showing that his guess was correct.

* * *

The couple walked into Mme. Mendeliev's class just as the lunch bell rang. Everyone walked out, but Marinette and Adrien went to their teacher's desk to find out what they missed.

"Marinette, why is Adrien late as well? He should have been with the class when we came back in when you left," Mme. Mendeliev asked.

"While I was... akumatized... I carried him off. He was the reason I was akumatized. But we talked it out, and everything is just perfect now!" Marinette replied.

"Your friends should have the notes you need, and I have a worksheet for each of you. I just want it back by tomorrow. Maybe you can stay in class after lunch, for once?" the teacher asked, but the pair was free to have lunch with their friends.

"Marinette!" Alya had been waiting outside the door and practically tackled her best friend as soon as she walked out. "Don't deny anything, tell me all the details. You guys are too obvious for me to miss it. So. How did you guys talk it out after the fight?"


End file.
